The Meaning of Family
by Lord Genesis Shadow
Summary: Sarah isn't like most girls. She was raised in a Pokemon Sanctuary. In spite of this, she loves her family very much, and has gained many friends. As she makes more friends, something happens, teaching her something important. Requested by Looneyman.


**It has been a long time in the works, but after much hard work, braving a series of headaches, and the gnashing of teeth, I've managed to finish the request of Looneyman. He's a very ambitious requester, and for that I thank you Looneyman.**

**Some news is in order I think. First off, this is the first, and so far only, T rated request. It feels good to do a request that's not so focused on certain matters that make the other requests M rated. Second, having completed the first part of Gallade's Arm, I'm working on the second part. I intend to start posting that in a few months, though rest assured that this isn't an estimate, but a promise. I already have the first chapter finished with the intention of posting it in a month or two. I just kind of want to get the first few chapters ready to post, so a few more weeks on that to prepare, a week or two to have my unofficial beta readers have a look over to make sure I didn't have too many mistakes or plot holes, and the second part of Gallade's Arm. Third, I'd like to thank all of my readers and reviewers.**

**On a related note, I'm fighting to get back in the saddle and intend to work hard on the remaining four requests. I'll get them done as soon as I can, and hopefully that'll make a few people, at the very least a few anyway, happy. Further to this note, I'm working on Jack's Journey again. To that end I had a bit of a thought. Does Pokémon Mystery Dungeon deserve its own category? I think so. My opinion anyway. So, onto the part everyone knew was coming.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, and by association Looneyman, do not own the rights to Pokémon. If we did, it'd probably be a little more serious at the very least.  
…**

"Sarah!" Jasey called. I looked down from the tree to see him looking up at me. "Come on, it's almost time for dinner!" I smiled and jumped down, using my growing psychic powers to land without hurting myself. "You're getting good." He smiled and crossed his arms. "Maybe as good as me." I smiled and leaned down to pick him up. He squirmed and tried to move out of my hands but I soon pulled him into a hug with him facing away. He gave up and I fought a laugh.

"So, what are we having today?" I asked.

"I don't know what you're having." He said. "I never do. I know I'm getting some Leppa berries today for dessert though." I laughed quietly as he rubbed his hands together but looked up at me. "I'll share some if you'll give me a Pecha berry." I nodded and he smiled as we approached our 'home'. Really it was just where our parents had decided to stay. There was a small lake and a few bushes with their favorite berries. Every day Mary would come by and bring me some normal food though, along with a special formula for the others.

My name is Sarah Krystal, and I live with a family of Pokémon. They said that they found me one day, as a baby, crying in the forest twenty three years ago, so they adopted me. When Mary's predecessor tried to take me away, they kept her back until she gave in. Living among them for so long, I ended up developing psychic powers, though much weaker than theirs. The only thing Mary asks is that I wear _some_ clothes, and she gave me a green shirt and some blue jeans. She also gave me shoes but I never wear them. I kept them in the box, which is near my 'bed', a small sleeping bag she gave me. I don't have any other clothes, though I do wear a yellow band on the upper part of my right arm with the code two six four H, my personal designation as a part of the reserve.

The last time I had a checkup, so that Mary could see how my health is so far, I learned a bit about my body. I'm five foot three and I weigh one hundred and three pounds. I have long black hair, which I take care of with the combs and brushes Mary gave me. My eyes are a bit odd, at least according to Mary. My left eye is brown and my right eye is green. She said I have something called Heterochromia. I don't really know what it means, but I think it's cool to have two differently colored eyes. My 'build' has been described as medium, but with some muscle thanks to my lifestyle. My skin is kind of pale despite the fact that I spend most of my time outside of the buildings, though I do go in once a month to have a checkup with my family. I also have a strange mark on my left cheek in the shape of a star. I like it. I think it looks cool.

The family of Pokémon I live with includes Jasey, my younger 'brother'. He came along about six years ago, and ever since he was born I looked at him as though he were my brother, though he prefers to have me call him my friend. He thinks it's kind of odd to have a human 'sister'. He's a Ralts, and he's pretty strong considering his age. As a Pokémon, he doesn't wear clothes, but he too has a band with the code one three nine R. He wears it on his arm, at the same place I wear mine too. I'm the one that named him as well. Now he won't respond to any other name directed at him.

The Pokémon that found me are a Gardevoir and a Gallade. I think of them as my mother and father since they raised me. Mary came by to teach me how to talk like a human, and she was also the one to give me a name, as she had read it on my clothes from when she found me as a baby. I like call the Gardevoir Martha, or mom most of the time, and she seems happy when I call her either. She's really nice, and sometimes she ends up getting into trouble because of it, like trying to protect weaker Pokémon from some of the bigger and meaner ones, or even humans travelling through. She was the one that adopted me. She said I was separated from my human parents, so she took me in. As much as she sometimes doesn't like to admit, she likes listening to traveler's stories whenever possible. She too has a numbered band, though she wears hers on her left upper arm with the code one nine one GR.

The Gallade I call Luke, but he doesn't like when I call him that. He lets me though since I'm his 'daughter'. He's the strongest Pokémon in the entire sanctuary, or so Mary calls him from time to time. He doesn't like travelers much because he prefers to protect just Martha, Jasey, and me, though he will protect others when they're in danger. He's Jasey's father. His band is on his left arm as well, with the code one eight one GA.

"So, anything interesting happen?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Mom met some travelers." He said. "She talked to them for a few minutes before they walked away." I nodded. "Dad wasn't too thrilled, but he let them stay at a good distance. I don't know how, but the humans understood what mom and dad were saying." He looked up at me as I looked down at him. "It was weird, but the humans knew."

"Wow." I said. "That's, kind of neat. They must really like Pokémon to be able to understand us." He laughed as I giggled. I looked up and saw the site we stayed at. I'd missed Mary, but she'd left a new green shirt and some new pants, but I was okay with the ones I had at the time. When they stopped keeping me warm enough, then I would start wearing the new clothes. I walked in and Martha walked over.

"Hi mom." Jasey said cheerily.

"Hello Jasey." She said. I smiled. "So Sarah, did you see anything today?" I shook my head as we walked over to where our food was set, on the small picnic table that most travelers used, though we used it as our own at mealtimes. "Oh well, maybe something will happen tomorrow." I set Jasey down on the table, since he was only a foot tall, and he went over to the small plastic box with his name. Luke walked over and sat on his side while I sat by Jasey. Martha walked over and sat next to Luke.

"Hi dad." I said. He nodded and grabbed his open box while Jasey wrestled with his. "Need some help Jasey?"

"I've got it this time." He said. I smiled as I opened the small bag that my food was in. I licked my lips.

"Alright, my favorite." I said. I pulled out a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a can of lemonade, along with a small plastic wrapped yellow sponge cake. I looked at my sleeping bag and used my powers to make a small bowl float over, which had three large Pecha berries in it, one at least half as big as Jasey. I grabbed it and set it down after folding the bag. I liked to use them to carry things from time to time. It was better than just throwing them away. Jasey struggled with his box while Martha smiled at him. "Jasey, are you sure you can win against that thing?" He fumbled and growled at it, making me fight a large smile. His eyes glowed and the box shook before cracking.

"I don't care about dinner now." He said. "I just want to open this thing." I laughed while he looked around. A small stick floated over and he grabbed it. He then proceeded to start hitting the box as fast as he could. "Open." I popped the clips of it and it opened, making him cheer and toss the stick behind him, dropping to his knees. "Yes! I did it! I'm awesome!" Martha laughed quietly while Luke just smiled.

"Good job Jasey, you sure showed that box who's boss." I said. He jumped up and went to work on his dinner while I set one of the Pecha beside him, the largest one. I grabbed my sandwich and took a bite, smiling. 'Mmm, Grepa jelly, my favorite.' I smiled as Jasey ate his food quickly, though carefully. I opened the can of lemonade while Luke grabbed his glass of water. Jasey usually drank from a glass with a long straw, but we all usually drank from glasses, save for me when I had a can of lemonade. I sipped said lemonade and set the can down while Jasey set a few Leppa berries by me on a paper towel so they wouldn't fall through the holes on the table. "So, did you get to see the travelers Jasey?" He nodded. "Did you give anyone a statue?"

"No." He said. "I don't have any right now. I'll make some tomorrow though, and maybe I can give someone something neat." He went back to his dinner and began eating quickly. I smiled and took another bite of my sandwich. I wanted to give him part of the sponge cake treat, but he thought they were too sweet, and they also made him kind of overly energetic.  
…

I yawned as I got out of my sleeping bag. Stretching, I got up and opened my eyes. I leaned left, then right, cracked my knuckles, and popped my back. I stepped over to the new clothes and looked at them. The shirt was just like the one I was wearing, as were the new jeans. There was also a new band, with the same number, so I looked at my current one and saw a few rips and tears. I pulled it off and swapped it for the new one. I smiled and stretched again.

'Ah, today is going to be a good day.' I thought. 'New band, new clothes for later, and a new chance for something to do, this should be a great day.' I looked at my family and smiled. Luke and Martha, so close together, and Jasey sleeping on the spare pillow under a large towel I had given him. I smiled and turned to walk away. I walked slowly at first but started jogging, breaking into a full run so I could get to my favorite spot to watch the sunrise. Throwing my arms out and smiling widely, I saw an Infernape getting up. I ran past him and I heard him hoot quietly before running behind me. We passed others and they quickly joined us, along with Monferno and a few Chimchar jumping onto their parent's backs, all of us with our arms held out behind us. I used my psychic power to jump high into the air, grabbing a branch and swinging, doing flips with some of the more acrobatic males and females before landing and running near the lead Infernape, who I called Nick. "Good morning Nick." He laughed and ran faster, so I jumped off to the side and landed on a path leading up to a large hill, my favorite place to watch the rising sun. When I reached the top I saw the pillow and the towel with Jasey sitting to look at the sun. "Hey Jasey." He often followed me everywhere, teleporting to keep up or to get ahead, or to get away from danger when I started joining in fights.

"Hey Sarah." He said. I sat down beside him, my legs hanging over the edge as we watched the rising sun together. "How was your morning Monkey Run?" I laughed and set my hand on his head gently.

"It was great." I said. "Nick's getting faster too. I think his kids are about due to evolve soon aren't they?" He nodded as I patted his head. "Yeah, they'll be strong. I bet they'll grow up just as nice as him." He nodded as I put my hands on my lap. "So, where should we check out today?"

"I think I want to go over to the Rhyhorn side, but I don't know." He said. "They have great clay for my statues, but I'd have to have you collect it while I wait somewhere safe." I nodded and knew he was looking at me. "I've always wanted to make a statue with that clay. I hear it's really good. You don't need as much water, and it doesn't dry out as fast anyway. Just a bit, and I can make some really neat statues without getting so dirty."

"I can't wait to see what you make with it." I said. I smiled. "Yeah, I bet you'll make something great with it." He sighed as we stared at the rising sun. I looked down and saw the Infernape, Monferno, and Chimchar all looking up at the sun. "Hey, look." I pointed and he looked.

"Oh, wow." He said. "That's beautiful. It, it's like a sea of fire that isn't burning anything." I nodded and smiled wider. "I wonder if I could make a statue of a Chimchar. They're around my height, and I could make it life size." I nodded.

"I can talk to Nick." I said. "He said that he thinks you'll grow up strong, and he hopes you'll decide to be a Gallade so his kids can spar with you someday."

"I don't know." He said. He looked down. "You know how much I don't like fighting."

"You don't need to fight to be a Gallade." I said. "You're strong, you just don't realize it yet. One day, Jasey, one day you'll be a strong and honorable Gallade, just like your father. Sparring isn't like fighting anyway. Think of it as, playing. You're not trying to beat anyone, you're just having fun." He smiled slightly. "Just pretend you're a hero practicing to protect the sanctuary." He laughed and I sighed. "So, should we try to get to the Rhyhorn before they wake up?" He nodded and I stood up while he teleported away with the pillow and the towel. I jumped back and ran forward, jumping before using my psychic power to slow my fall. Upon landing, I started running as fast as I could toward the Rhyhorn side of the sanctuary.  
…

I laughed as I jumped on top of one of the larger Rhyhorn as it ran past. I jumped off of it and onto another while Jasey teleported away with the bucket of clay. I landed carefully and jumped from one to another while yelling happily. After a few leaps and bounds, I took to the trees using psychic assisted jumps. Ten minutes of jumping let me out of their territory, and I knew they were mad, but they didn't seem to care too much. I spotted Jasey near a small pool of water near a sleeping Snorlax and I landed nearby him as the sleeping giant yawned and looked at us.

"Hi there big guy." I said. He smiled while Jasey looked at him. "Have a nice nap?" He yawned again and nodded. "Good. Big strong guy like you needs plenty of sleep, and plenty of food." He smiled and looked at a large pile of brambles and thorn vines, his favorites. He quickly went to work on them while Jasey laughed.

"Go big guy, go!" He cheered. I smiled wider and sat down by Jasey.

"So, we've got plenty of clay and a bit of mud." I said. "What do you plan on making?" He put his hand to his chin.

"Well, I've got enough here for five statues about my size." He said. "First I want to make a Chimchar statue, and maybe a Pidgey. Then, I think I'll make one of our friend here if he doesn't mind." Snorlax stopped and chewed while nodding. "Okay, I guess I'll make yours first since we're here, after you're done eating of course." He went back to his meal and I smiled. "Let's see, then, I want to make one of someone I haven't met, a traveler maybe." I nodded. "But before that, could I, maybe make one of you?" He looked at me and I blinked, pointing at myself, and he nodded. I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun." I said. He jumped up and smiled while Snorlax continued eating.

"Why don't you go out for a while and I'll wait here and make a statue of Snorlax." He said. I nodded and stood up.

"Don't get into any trouble, and don't get too close to the bushes." I said. "Those thorns hurt." He nodded and I put my arms out and ran through the trees. "See you for dinner Jasey!" I giggled as I ran through the trees, figuring I'd go see how the Infernape clan was doing. I couldn't fully understand Jasey sometimes, but I figured out enough to get the idea of what he was saying. The same applied to Martha and Luke. Sometimes I couldn't understand the words completely, and I just guessed by the tone of their voices. Nick and any of his clan, I just guessed what they were saying, again by tone of voice, but they seemed to understand that and used gestures most of the time. After a few minutes of running I spotted something in the distance, black and green, with a bit of bright red. I slowed down and stopped, seeing that it was someone passing through. I smiled. I liked meeting new people and Pokémon, but I was always happy to meet new humans. They were allowed to bring Pokémon in, but not empty Pokéballs. The sanctuary was for Pokémon to stay, but they could leave on their own if they wanted. I turned to the person and began running, happy for the chance to meet someone new. As I approached, he looked over at me with a surprised expression. I stopped a few feet and looked him over. He wore a black vest over a black shirt with black and green pants, a camouflage pattern from what Mary told me one time, along with black boots. He had glasses on his eyes with red metal rims. His eyes were red, almost as red as his fiery hair. "Hi."

"Uh, hi." He said slowly.

"Enjoying your trip through the sanctuary?" I asked. He nodded. "I'm Sarah." I held out my right hand with a big smile. He slowly took my hand and I shook it vigorously.

"I, I'm Jack." He said. "Nice to, meet you." I let go of his hand and giggled.

"So, what part of the sanctuary are you going to?" I asked.

"Oh, the Infernape area." He said. "I've always liked them, and I've wanted to visit for a while, though my mom and dad don't want me near them. They keep thinking I'll get burned or something. But they finally let me come here, so I want to see them up close instead of from a TV." I nodded and pointed to the clan's favorite spot at that time of day.

"They'll be over there for a few hours." I said. "Nick usually likes training there because it's close to some healing berries and roots."

"Nick?" He asked.

"Oh, that's the leader of the clan." I said. "He's really nice and likes visitors. If you're lucky he'll even let you play with his kids."

"Do you come here often?" He asked. I shook my head.

"I live here." I said. I pointed to where Luke and Martha were, probably training their powers. "I live with a Gallade and Gardevoir, Luke and Martha." He blinked. "I've lived here since I was half a year old." I pointed to the band. "Mary couldn't get them to give me up, so she let me live with them." I grabbed his right wrist. "Come on, I bet Nick would like to meet you." I pulled him along and he made a few surprised noises.

"W, wait, you're sure they won't attack me?" He asked.

"They won't." I said. "They're really peaceful Pokémon. And Nick likes humans. He's always happy to see a new face."  
…

I watched as Nick laughed at Jack. His kids were climbing all over him while he laughed.

"Hey, come on, watch it." He laughed. Nick laughed even louder, hitting his hand against the ground while I giggled into my right hand. "Aah, cold hands, cold hands!" Nick rolled onto his back and clutched his sides while other Infernape and Monferno started taking notice, also laughing. One of the Chimchar, Mickey, was sitting on Jack's head in a meditative pose while the others were hanging onto his hands and climbing in and out of the pockets on his jacket. "I hope I don't find any surprises up there." I sputtered a laugh and put my hands on my knees while leaning forward. "Oh, yeah, laugh. I bet you've never, watch the claws, watch the claws. I bet this hasn't happened to you before."

"Twice." I said. "Happened, twice." I laughed and looked, stopping before laughing louder and falling forward, holding my sides. Mickey was now in a fighting pose on one foot with his hands held up, making a funny noise. "Oh, oh no, my ribs!" Nick looked and laughed even louder when I managed to stop long enough to stand up. "Oh, I haven't laughed that hard_ ever_."

"I wish I could stay, but I have to go and meet a friend." Jack said. He carefully picked Mickey off of his head and set him down. Nick stopped laughing and hooted a few times and the others jumped off and bowed to Jack. "Thanks."

"Do you think you'll be back?" I asked.

"Maybe." He said. "I hope so, but right now I have to go meet my friend Joe in front of this building that's under construction." He shrugged. "After that, maybe I'll come back. After all, I had a lot of fun." He walked over and held out his hand. "It was nice meeting you Sarah." I hugged him and I knew he was blushing.

"It was nice meeting you too Jack." I said. "See you later." I let go of him and he adjusted his glasses while blushing deeply. He walked away with a smile though, so I giggled. "He's a nice person. I bet he'll do great things one day." I put my hands behind my head and figured Jasey would have made a statue of Snorlax by now. Then I remembered the other idea. I turned to Nick as his children climbed onto his shoulders and tail. "Nick, Jasey got some clay and mud, and he wants to make a statue of a Chimchar." He nodded. "Do you think he could make one of Mickey?" He looked at Mickey who smiled and nodded. Nick nodded as well and I smiled. "Okay, I'll bring Jasey and the clay by in a few minutes, or maybe an hour. He's making a statue of a Snorlax." I waved and turned. "Bye for now." I took off as a bunch of them called and laughed.  
…

"Okay, hold it." Jasey said. I held perfectly still as I watched him make the statue of me. I had to keep from smiling as I watched him move his hands to try to get the statue to look like me. "Just a little longer." I fought a laugh as he kept moving around the statue to look it over. "Okay, perfect." I smiled and lowered my arms. I'd stood for a long time with my arms crossed looking confident while he worked. He levitated the statue and turned it around for a few moments.

"Good work Jasey." I said. "You're really getting good." I knelt by him and looked at it. "Now we just need to get this and the Snorlax statue dry and we can show them off to all of our friends." He smiled and looked at the statue.

"Maybe we could ask Nick to warm them for us." He suggested. I smiled and nodded. He carefully levitated the two small clay statues onto the top of the bucket and I carefully picked it up while he teleported onto my shoulder. I smiled wider.

"Today really turned out great so far." I said. He nodded. "I bet tomorrow will be just as fun."  
…

I yawned quietly as I got out of my sleeping bag. I stood up and stretched, greeting the sun as usual. But something felt different. I couldn't place it. I looked around for a moment before spotting a small campfire in the distance. It had to be a campfire because Nick and the others were asleep in their area, well away from where I saw the flames. I looked at my family and then at the fire before taking off silently with a smile.

'Maybe there are some new people I can meet.' I thought. 'I hope they're new people.' I held my arms out and smiled wider. I jumped over some stumps and smiled as I spotted a man walking out of a tent, dressed in dark clothing. He put on a hat and a pair of sunglasses while I moved closer. 'Cool, I haven't met this guy yet. I'd remember someone like this.' He turned as I giggled happily. I slowed to a walk and he smiled. "Good morning!"

"Good morning." He said. I heard a quiet yawn and I looked to the tent as a blue Gardevoir walked out.

"Good morning." She yawned. She opened her eyes and spotted me. "Oh, hello." I smiled wider.

'Wow, I've never seen a blue Gardevoir before.' I thought.

"I thought we were the only visitors here." The man said. He was tall, very tall, and he had a short beard, blue in color, and I could see that his sideburns, and likely his hair, were the same blue. His shirt, pants, boots, and even his fingerless gloves and hat were black. His skin was pale, though he looked like he traveled a lot.

"You are." I said. "I live here." He stared as the Gardevoir walked up to him. I gestured to the band and he nodded.

"Ah, you must be Sarah." He said. I nodded. "We heard about you from Mary." I smiled wider as he held out his hand, which I took quickly and shook vigorously.

"We heard that you can understand Gardevoir, and the younger forms." The Gardevoir said. "Is this true?" I nodded.

"Mostly." I said. "Sometimes I don't get it all, but I can get a good idea from tone of voice or gestures." She smiled and the man chuckled quietly.

"I know how that feels." He said. "I used to have to guess what Liz said from her tone and actions. It was actually kind of fun sometimes, but now I'm glad to have these translators."

"Translators?" I asked. He pointed to a pair of Pokéball shaped earrings.

"And I never travel without a few spare sets." He said. "Would you like a set? They could really help when talking to your family." I smiled, but soon lost it. "Don't worry, I don't ask for money in exchange for these." He pulled a small package from his long black leather jacket and held it out. I took it carefully and opened it. They were clip on earrings, like the ones Mary wore from time to time. In fact, I saw Mary wearing a pair just like these. She wore translators just like this man. I smiled and pulled one out and clipped it on carefully.

"Thank you." I said happily. "Jasey's gonna flip when he sees these." Liz giggled while I put the other on.

"I'm Gene by the way." The man said. I looked at him. "Have you, seen anyone strange, besides us, lately? I was asked to come here to investigate the appearance of two people that may be poachers."

"No, I haven't." I said. "The only other human I've seen around here lately was a boy named Jack." I thought about him for a moment. "He definitely couldn't have been a poacher though. From what I've been told, they're, what was the word?" I tried to remember the word. I was still taking lessons from Mary to speak human, though I sometimes had trouble remembering the words. "Um, oh yeah, confident. Really confident. He was kind of nervous around me, and he didn't seem like a bad person."

"Well, we're looking for a couple of adults, perhaps in their mid forties." He said. "They're married, and they make a living poaching Pokémon and wearing disguises. But normally, the husband has short black hair, green eyes, a thin mustache, and he wears an off white button up shirt, tan pants and shoes. His wife has mid back length black hair, blue eyes, and wears a similar outfit, though with a tan skirt instead of shorts, along with a tan purse." I tried to imagine the people he described. "Their names are Shaun and Anna." He seemed in thought. "I can't remember the last name though for some reason."

"Well, I'll keep an eye out for them anyway." I said.

"Sarah!" Martha called. "Time for breakfast!" I turned toward her voice and back to Gene.

"We'll be around for a while." He said. "Maybe we can work together to catch the poachers." I nodded. "See you around Sarah."

"It was nice meeting you." Liz said.

"Bye for now." I said. I turned and jogged before running. 'I like meeting new people.' I smiled wide as I kept running.  
…

I looked out from my usual spot on the top of the small plateau, just looking at the view of the sanctuary. I kept trying to think of other things to do, but nothing came to mind. It wasn't like most days. Something about it felt different. It was like the Sanctuary was quieter than usual, like something was going to happen. I sat down on the edge and looked around again. Something felt out of place, and I just couldn't figure it out.

'Let's see.' I thought. 'Nick and his family are okay, the Rhyhorn enclosure looks fine, and not much seems different anywhere else. What is it that's making everything feel out of place?' I looked toward the Ursaring area and grimaced. 'Nothing out of place there.' There were some lights over at the Houndoom area, likely fire from their usual fights. 'Nothing new there.' I felt the presence of someone behind me so I looked back slightly to see Jasey walking over. "Hey Jasey." He sat down beside me and looked out.

"Hey Sarah." He said quietly. "Does something feel, out of place to you?" I nodded.

"Yeah." I said. "I can't place it, but something's just, off today. I think I might go all around to see what's going on with everyone. I'm sure Nick will feel it when he wakes up, and I know that the Ursaring will know something is up."

"Can I come with you?" He asked.

"No, but I want you to talk to the Chimchar." I said. "Work together with them and look all over the place. If you work together I'm sure you'll be able to find something that's not right." He nodded. "If something bad is out of place, don't try to be a hero. Get the Chimchar back to Nick and have Martha and Luke help go where the trouble is. Then you come and find me." He nodded again as I stood up. "I think I'll check in with Mary first. She might know something." He stood up and nodded again.

"Okay." He said. "Be careful." I knelt and picked him up, hugging him.

"You too Jasey." I said. I set him down and he smiled. "Good luck." He nodded and teleported away while I turned in the direction of Mary's station and saw a pair of lights from her jeep. I ran forward and jumped quickly, using my psychic powers to glide slowly down to the ground. The moment my feet touched the ground I took off as fast as I could. 'I hope Mary can help me.' I saw the lights ahead turning so I turned to mirror it. When I got close enough I saw her looking over at me, so she slowed down and I jumped onto the side. "Good morning Mary."

"Good morning Sarah." She said. "I thought you'd be running with the Infernape and Monferno again this morning." I climbed in as she slowed down, looking ahead to make sure we weren't going to crash.

"Something doesn't feel right." I said. "I can't quite place it, but something's just, off."

"Hmm, you too then." She said. "I was going to check in with Martha and Luke, but it must be something big if you and I can tell." I nodded. "I'll ask them to look around the Machamp and Mankey areas. I know how well Luke gets on with their leaders, and Martha is definitely good friends with the lead Machamp's mate right now."

"I asked Jasey to have the Chimchar help him look around where they can go." I said. "I'll look around the Ursaring and Houndoom enclosures first, and then I'll go to the Rhyhorn to see if Rhydon has seen anything out of place." She nodded.

"I'm going to look around the Ponyta and Rapidash field." She said. "I'll have to go in on foot since they hate my jeep's engine." She reached behind her and grabbed something. She handed it to me and I looked it over. "That's the new radio we're using." She stopped just a few yards to the side of where we lived and she moved her fingers to the side. "Hold this down to talk, and let go of it so I can respond." She turned a small switch. "I'll be on channel two. The other rangers are already out looking through the various areas, but they were going to ask you to handle the Rhyhorn and Houndoom since you get along with Rhydon and the Alpha Houndoom." I nodded and put the radio in my back pocket. "Be careful out there. We've had word of poachers recently, and we asked someone to come by to help."

"I know." I said. "I met him yesterday." She smiled as I showed her the earrings I had clipped on. "I'll let you know if I hear anything."  
…

I ran through the open area and saw Rhydon looking around for a moment before he looked at me. He walked a few steps as I stopped. I looked up at him as he growled quietly before looking into my eyes.

"Rhydon, I'm sorry, but we don't have time for anything right now." I said. "Something isn't quite right in the Sanctuary today." He nodded. "Have you seen anything out of the ordinary?" He shook his head as the Rhyhorn gathered around us. "There may be poachers in the area, so be careful of anyone else you see. If anything happens, send a Rhyhorn through to the Infernape so they can relay a message to Mary and me." He nodded. "Keep your eyes peeled all day, and be extra careful of any other humans you see." He nodded again and I looked around. "Sorry for all that mayhem yesterday. Jasey wanted some mud to make clay for his statues." There was a quiet murmur as they cleared a path for me. I turned and jogged out of their enclosure and ran toward the Infernape area.

After ten minutes of running and occasionally jumping up a tree and going from one branch to another I heard a noise. I looked toward where it came from as I landed on a branch. I climbed over to the end and saw movement, but it was faint and a long distance away.

'What is that?' I wondered. I jumped to another branch and leaned down slightly. I spotted more movement but it was well hidden. I could just barely see it. Without warning there was a snapping sound beneath me and I looked down. There was a man wearing a white shirt and tan pants, with black hair. He was one of the poachers I had been warned about. I looked ahead to see a woman wearing a similar white shirt with a tan skirt. She had medium length black hair. She was looking at the man and beckoning him over. She was the other poacher. 'I have to warn the others.' I waited until they were together and turned around before jumping a few branches away, keeping an eye on everything around me. I made sure I could still see them and I realized what the movement from before was. The woman was hiding behind some kind of cover, waiting for him. Shaun and Anna, the poachers. 'Need to tell the others. I got out far enough and sat down against the trunk of the tree. I looked at the volume of the radio and turned it down a bit, to make sure I wasn't heard, and pressed in the button on the side. "Mary, I've found the poachers. They're a little ways northeast of the Rhyhorn area. Probably half a mile, and just off the path." I let go and waited for a moment.

"I hear you Sarah." Mary said. "I'll pass the message along and I'll be on my way shortly."

"I heard as well Sarah." A familiar voice said. It was Gene. "Liz and I are on our way. We should be there in about twenty minutes if we're lucky. Keep an eye on them."

"I will." I said. "It won't be easy though. They've cleared the leaves from branches I'd need to hide behind."

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes." A female voice said. "I'm not gonna let these poachers escape."

"Be careful Officer Jenny." Mary said. "I've gotten a list on their Pokémon. They've two each, all very powerful. Crawdaunt, Omastar, Mothim, and a really mean Infernape. I don't know who has which one, but they're really strong, worthy of the Pokémon League strong." I swallowed hard and heard a noise. "Be careful, everyone."

"Hey, up there!" A man called. I looked over to the source and saw Shaun looking up at me. He had a ball in his hands as Anna pointed a strange looking weapon at me. I went to jump when she fired it at me. It was a net gun, and I was quickly snared and I landed hard on the ground. I hid the radio in my shorts as I struggled to move. It had something that kept my psychic powers from working properly. They rebounded the power on me, giving me a minor headache that lasted for a few seconds. "So, you thought you'd sneak up on us? No, no one gets the drop on us." He walked over and picked me up while Anna put the gun on her shoulders. She grabbed my other arm and looked intently at me.

"Shaun, does she look familiar to you?" She asked. He looked at me and grabbed my jaw roughly to make me look at him. "I've seen her before, years ago it seems. I just know that we know her."

"Yeah, she seems…" He started. "Honey, you're right, we know her!" He smiled and looked at Anna. "Honey, it, this is, it's _her_. She's alive!" He laughed as he looked at me. "Sarah, you're really alive!" Anna gasped as he suddenly hugged me. I tried to struggle but Anna hugged me as well.

"Sarah, baby, you're still alive." She said. "Oh, I thought you were dead. You're alive."

"Wh, what are you talking about?" I asked. "I've never seen you before!" They laughed and walked me back to their camp while I kicked my feet, but the net kept me from kicking out far enough to hit them. "Let go of me!" They walked me into a tent as I struggled against them. They set me down on a bed and looked at me. I felt kind of scared. I had no idea what they were going to do to me.

"Sarah, baby, you're our daughter." Shaun said. My eyes went wide. "We were here before, trying to catch some rare Pokémon, a long time ago. We got into an accident with a Tauros and it knocked our jeep over. Before we could get you out it attacked again and we had to run. We came back, and we thought it had eaten you or something." They moved on me again and hugged me tightly, making me more than a little uncomfortable.

"But now you're safe again, back with your mommy and daddy." Anna said. I tried to move away when she touched my birthmark. "This is from your daddy's side of the family. It's proof. He has one too, or, had one. A catch went bad and he was burned. His mark is gone." She kissed my cheek and I tried to hit at her, but she apparently thought I wanted her to hug me tighter.

"Honey, we'll get you out of this terrible place and back home where you belong." Shaun said. "We just need to catch this family of Psychic types. A Gallade, Gardevoir, and a little Ralts. Hey, we'll let you keep that little guy." I squirmed.

"No, you won't catch my family!" I said loudly. "Martha and Luke won't let you!" They looked at each other.

"Honey, our little girl is the one we heard about." Anna said. "She's the girl that lives with the family of Psychic types." She smiled as Shaun laughed.

"Well then, you can keep all three." He said. "Just means we'll have to get twice as many of the Chimchar and Monferno." I struggled as he laughed.

"They're my friends!" I said loudly. "I, won't let you, take them away!" They laughed and stood up.

"Don't worry baby, we'll be back in a little while." Shaun said. "Don't worry about a thing. We'll help you forget all that those Pokémon taught you. You'll be part of the family business." I struggled as they walked out, but Anna turned back and walked over to kiss my cheek.

"Just wait baby, we'll be back in a bit." She said. She jogged out and I fought against the net, but it had tied itself around the bottom, leaving me stuck. Likely they had more nets like this to use against my family.

I heard them drive away in something smaller than a jeep and I reached for the radio. I pulled it out and looked at the opening in the tent. I pressed the button and held it up to my mouth.

"Hello, anyone." I said quickly. "I, I got caught. I'm stuck, in a net that, that makes my powers useless. They're going after Martha, Luke, and Jasey! They'll steal all of the Chimchar, Monferno, and even Nick." There was a moment of silence before I remembered to let go of the button.

"I'm on my way." Jenny said. "I'm four minutes out from where your family is." I pressed the button as I thought about what the poachers had said.

"They said, they said that, I'm their daughter." I said. "C, could that, be true?"

"Sarah, we found you here." Mary said. "It could be. They might have been here a few years ago, and I've read that Shaun used to have a star shaped birthmark just like yours. When I read that, and that they had lost their daughter at a Sanctuary, I wondered. If they said that, then it may very well be true." I whimpered and heard movement. Heavy footfalls. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Wait, go help Jenny and the others." I said quickly. "Get everyone to where the poachers are. Keep my family safe. I think I, I think I can get out." I struggled as she was silent.

"Okay Sarah." She said. "Be careful." I lowered the radio and looked at the sides of the tent.

"Hey, help me!" I called. "Hey, hey!" I heard the footsteps moving closer and I saw a huge shadow. "In here!"

"Sarah?" A familiar voice called. "Snorlax, she's in there! Hurry." The tent opening was ripped off and I saw a Kirlia looking in. A male Kirlia. He jumped in and ran up to me, opening the net. "Don't worry Sarah, we'll get you out of here." There was mud on his hands, and I recognized his eyes.

"Jasey." I said. "You evolved?" He nodded as he opened it. I moved out while Snorlax looked in.

"Is she okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine Snorlax, thank you." I said. I looked at Jasey as he smiled. "Jasey, we need to get to Martha and Luke. Those poachers are on their way, and they've got a net that makes psychic powers useless." He nodded as I looked to Snorlax. "Can you keep an eye on things here, in case they come back?" He nodded.

"You got it." He said. I picked up Jasey and he nodded. I closed my eyes as Jasey teleported us to Martha and Luke, and we immediately saw a jet of fire just missing a Crawdaunt.

"Okay, so you found us." Anna called. "That means we have to kill you to keep things quiet." I bit my lip as I heard Nick hooting loudly.

"Get away from my friends!" He yelled. Another Infernape was fighting him, though Nick was clearly winning, if only because Anna wasn't paying attention.

"Shaun, how about some backup?" Anna called. "This Infernape looks like he'll bring in a good price no matter what. Dead we get a rug, alive we get some lucky trainer a great starter." I growled and set Jasey down as Shaun tossed out two Pokéball. A Mothim and an Omastar appeared and I stepped back.

"Jasey, do you think you can handle one?" I asked. He nodded.

"I can do it." He said. "Just tell me what to do." I looked at him as he sent out a bit of joy to me.

"Okay." I said. "Jasey, hit that Omastar with Confusion!" I pointed at it and it rose into the air.

"Sarah, what are you doing?" Shaun called. "Mothim, Stun Spore on both of them!" Jasey looked at Mothim when a bright rainbow beam shot out of nowhere and hit it squarely in the chest. I looked to the source and saw a blue Gardevoir lowering her right hand. She was radiating a bit of anger and worry, but beside her was Gene, without his jacket or hat. His right hand crackled with fire as he walked forward. "Damn it! Mothim, use Psywave on them, now!"

"Jasey, toss Omastar!" I said. Jasey threw Omastar into a large rock, knocking it out instantly. Nick fought with the other Infernape until it suddenly dropped to its knees, bowing forward to surrender.

"You worthless Infernape!" Anna yelled. "Get up!" I focused on the Pokéball on her belt and they flew over to me, followed by the two that Shaun had. "Hey! Sarah, what are you doing?" I caught the balls and looked at Jasey.

"Jasey, crush them." I said. He nodded and the balls began compressing, so I focused on them as well. They crumpled and cracked until they broke into hundreds of pieces. Shaun and Anna's Pokémon suddenly stopped fighting as vehicles came by. They tried to run when I used my power, with Jasey's help, to flip their vehicle, some small four wheeled vehicle. Martha and Luke appeared and walked over to me with smiled. "Mom, dad." I hugged them and they quickly returned it. "I was worried they might have caught you."

"Sarah, you, you little, bitch!" Shaun yelled. I looked at them. "Why would you betray your own mother and father like this!"

"You're not my parents!" I called. I turned. "You didn't raise me! Martha and Luke did, and Mary and Nick, and everyone here at the Sanctuary helped raise me!" I pointed at them. "You're just, mean people who take Pokémon away from their homes." Shaun drew a gun and it was suddenly pulled from his hand. Gene caught it while his hand was still ablaze. He smashed it and dropped it to the ground. Anna went to draw one but it just fell apart in her hand.  
…

I sat on my sleeping bag while Martha and Luke spoke with Gene and Liz. Jasey was asleep in my lap with my right hand on his head. I slowly stroked his hair while he breathed quietly. He told me that when he heard that I had been captured he just evolved and teleported to Snorlax to have him help find me. It was very sweet of him, and I was grateful. I owed him a great deal for getting me out, even though the situation was already in hand. Thought it probably was a good thing that we had arrived when we did.

The Infernape was female, and she joined Nick's clan. The Omastar went over to the water enclosure and was trying to adapt, though it was a cloned Pokémon, and thus would have a difficult time adjusting to the new time period. It was recently cloned and stolen from a research facility, so it would be returned later if it wanted to go. The Mothim was also stolen from another Sanctuary, but he wanted to stay.

Crawdaunt though, he quickly moved out of the Sanctuary to find a new trainer. He apparently loved fighting so much, he felt that he'd do more good fighting.

Shaun and Anna were indeed my biological parents, but I didn't care. Since they had pretty much abandoned me, and since they were such cruel people, I made my choice to stay in the Sanctuary. I was informed that I would be allowed to take all of their legal funds, save five percent, for whatever I wanted it for.

From what I learned of them, they were not only poachers, but murderers. If they were discovered they would murder the people that found them and they'd take their identities if they could. They had poached thousands of innocent Pokémon, murdered dozens of people all around the regions, and they were known to be cruel to their Pokémon. They'd beat them, deprive them of food, and generally treat them like trash.

I was very glad that they didn't raise me. I definitely lucked out when the Tauros had knocked the jeep over all those years ago. With any luck I'd never see them again, and from what Officer Jenny said, they'd get either the electric chair or lethal injection for all of their crimes if the evidence was strong enough. If not, they'd at least get forty years in prison.

"Sarah?" Jasey asked. I looked down at him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I said. I slowly stroked his hair as I smiled. "I'm very happy that I was raised by Martha and Luke. If I wasn't, I know that I'd be, like those mean people." He moved slightly.

"I'm glad you're okay." He said. "I was worried." I nodded.

"I know buddy." I said. "I know." He looked up at me. "How does it feel to be a Kirlia?"

"Not bad." He said. "I'm a little taller." I smiled and patted his head lightly. "I really hope I find a Dawn Stone." I smirked.

"You would look kind of funny in a dress." I said. He laughed quietly as I smiled. "So, how do you think mom and dad are doing?"

"We're okay." Martha said. I snickered. "We were talking with Mr. Alastor. He tells me that he thinks you did a great job finding and helping put those people away." I looked up at her as Luke sat down at the table. "He thinks you and Jasey make a great team."

"We just did what we had to do." I said. "It was either that or let that man's Omastar hurt someone. Officer Jenny was outnumbered, and who knows if Gene would have been able to fight off that Omastar on his own while Liz took on the Mothim?"

"Well, he's a fighter." Luke said. "He tells me that he was taught how to fight like a real Gallade, even if he only has one bladed arm." I looked at him. "He gave me this, to give to you." He tossed a small round package to me and I caught it. "I think he's got the right idea. It's time for you to make a choice." I opened the package and saw a black and red ball. "That's a Luxury ball. It's supposed to be really comfortable inside." I looked at Jasey as he looked at it. "Mary agreed as well. She says that maybe it's time for you to see the world outside of the Sanctuary. Take the ball with you, maybe use it to make sure you have a friend that no one will try to take away from you." I looked intently at the ball. "There's a whole world out there that's so much bigger than the world here."

"I, I don't know." I said. I looked at them.

"It's your choice." Luke said. "We love you, but we think that maybe their right. After all, you're human. And some humans leave their homes to travel for a while. Maybe a few years to see some of the world, to see what there is to see, and then come back home to see us from time to time." I thought about it. "From what Gene and Liz said, I think perhaps you should go, for at least a few years. Maybe you can start a family of your own." I looked at the ball as Jasey looked at me. "Think about it for a little while honey. It's your choice."  
…

I looked out from the plateau as the moon rose high into the sky. I sat down on the edge and sighed as I held the ball in my hand. Mary, Martha, Luke, Gene, Liz, even Jasey said I should go out and see the world. I had the ability to protect myself, and now I had a lot of money, an account in my name, and some extra clothes that Mary had given me. Gene had also left me some extra trainer's gear. A map, a Pokétch, a Pokédex, even a backpack with some basic gear to start with. Extra Pokéballs, potions, revives, even tents and rope, matches and all kinds of stuff.

The only things that were keeping me from my choice were my family and friends. Could I really leave them? And then there were all of my friends. Nick and his clan, the Rhyhorn and their Rhydon, Snorlax, and so many others, they were all my friends. But Martha and Luke told me that trainers made a lot of friends during their travels. I'd make new friends, rivals, and I'd have a lot of fun.

"Sarah?" Jasey's voice asked. I looked to my right as he sat down. He had a small cloth wrapped around something. "Dad gave me this. It's a Dawn Stone for when I'm a little older. He said to wait until I was sure I was ready to evolve." He smiled and looked at me. "He said I'd make a great Gallade." I put the ball in my left hand and put my right on his head.

"He's right." I said. "You don't like fighting, but you'd make a great protector. You'd keep your friends safe without question." He smiled and laughed quietly.

"Yeah." He said. "So, what do you plan on doing?" I looked at the stars and shrugged.

"No clue." I said. "I can go out into the world, make new friends, see what the world has to offer me, or I can just stay here with mom, dad, and you." He put a hand on my arm and I looked at him.

"I think you should go." He said. "And I'll go with you." I smiled slightly. "I want to go too. I want to keep you safe. You, you're my sister, and I don't want to lose you." I smiled a little more.

"You want to go on an adventure then?" I asked. He smiled and nodded.

"Yeah." He said eagerly. "It'd be a lot of fun. We'd meet new people, do all kinds of fun things, and we'd see who knows how many awesome sights. It'd be the coolest thing we've ever done together." I rubbed his head and smiled wider.

"You're sure it's the right thing to do?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yeah, I do." He said. "I know it's the right thing to do in my heart." I held out the ball as he set the stone on the ground. "Really?"

"Well, you and me, we made a great team the other day, right?" I asked. He nodded. "So, let's be a great team out there." He nodded and I moved my hand as he tapped the button. The ball drew him in and shook three times in my hand. It made a pinging noise and I opened it a bit away from me. He appeared and looked over at me before returning to where he sat. I picked up the stone and put it in my pocket while he looked out ahead of us. "So, we head out in the morning." He nodded.

"Yeah." He said.  
…

I looked at everyone as they gathered around us. I now wore the new clothes that Mary had given me. The shirt fit perfectly, as did the new pants. It was the first time I'd worn full pants, and it felt kind of nice. The shoes fit nicely as well. I still wore the identification tag though, as did Jasey. Mary stepped forward and hugged me, so I returned the hug gratefully.

"Thank you, for letting me stay here." I said. "I'll always remember everyone. I'll never forget where I came from."

"You'll always be welcome here Sarah." She said. "I'll always remember you as that cute little girl that wanted to be a Gardevoir when she was old enough." I laughed quietly as she patted my back. Nick walked over and held out his right hand, which I took.

"Keep an eye out for a good rival." He said. "They only help you grow stronger, as you do for them." I smiled.

"I will." I said. "Keep an eye on everything for me." He nodded as he let go of my hand. Martha and Luke walked over. I hugged them both as Jasey levitated up to do the same.

"We'll miss you honey." Martha said. "Remember to stop by once in a while."

"I will." I said.

"Keep an eye on Jasey, and make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble." Luke said. "You know how he gets when he's having too much fun."

"Hey." Jasey laughed.

"I'll make sure to keep out of trouble." I said. "And I'll make sure Jasey doesn't get out of my sight for too long." I let go of them and Jasey hovered onto my shoulders. Everyone looked at us as Jasey waved. "We'll miss you, everyone. We'll never forget you." As I turned to walk out through the open gate, I smiled as Jasey put his hands on my head.

Some years later we ended up in a big battle against my biological parents again a long way from the Sanctuary. It was during that fight that Jasey finally decided it was time to become a Gallade. He was stronger than Luke was. We had a few others with us but they were all knocked out. He singlehandedly defeated their Pokémon and managed to keep them there until the police came.

That night Jasey told me something that changed our lives forever. He told me that he loved me. At first I didn't fully understand what he had meant at first, but then he kissed me. Upon realizing his meaning, I returned his kiss and we ended up becoming mates soon after. Our friendship had led to something much greater.

From there we became a better team, visiting the Sanctuary every year on the anniversary of the day we had left. Martha, Luke, Nick, Mary, and everyone we knew met us at the gate each year after the first. We'd also visit on holidays and our birthdays, bringing gifts and new friends each year.

Martha and Luke were initially surprised by our decision to become mates, but five years after that choice I became pregnant with Jasey's children, twins. Jasey Jr. was born first, and then Dana. When we first brought them to meet Martha and Luke, it was a surprise to say the least. Luke was surprised to see them while Martha had started crying into his shoulder, overjoyed with the news.

Since then I've been writing a book, an autobiography. Mostly it was just something to tell the world of what it was like to live among Pokémon in a Sanctuary. I had stories of all of my favorite memories from before and after Jasey was born. But this story, what you've read, had a full chapter devoted to it. It was my favorite adventure of all, and it taught me a valuable lesson. It taught me the meaning of family. That's something that I will never, ever, forget.


End file.
